Setting Goals for School

The school will be starting up soon or it may have started for some of your kids. A great way to get your child pumped for the year is to have them set some goals!

Goals promote great character traits in your kids such as responsibility and discipline. Setting goals will also help keep your child motivated throughout the year!

An easy way to create goals is by using the S.M.A.R.T. method. This method allows for goals to be clear and achievable for children and even adults. Let me break down what each of the letters means and give examples!

S.M.A.R.T. Goal Method

S- Specific. This means that the goal isn’t vague or too broad. They should simply explain the what, why, and how of what you plan to do. For example, “I want to make $20 by starting up a lemonade stand so that I can buy that new toy I want. It clearly identifies what they are doing, how they are going to do it, and why.

M- Measurable. A goal should be able to be measured. If you can’t measure it, how can you track your progress? Sticking with the lemonade stand example, “I will sell 20 cups of lemonade for a dollar each.” They can easily measure how well they are doing by seeing how many more cups they need to sell.

A- Attainable. The goal needs to be achievable and realistic. Will the child be able to reach the goal? “I will set up the lemonade stand with the help of my mom.”

R- Relevant. Is this goal worth it? Goals are a great thing but can become a problem when they aren’t necessary for what they want in life. “Creating a lemonade stand will help me to gain money for the new toy I want.”

T- Time-bound. This is essentially creating a timeline and setting a deadline for the goal to stay on track. “I will sell lemonade Friday afternoon and finish selling on Saturday afternoon.”